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Do social media platforms banning groups or individuals for breaking their rules violate First Amendment protections?

Wednesday, July 1, 2020
By Eric Smith
NO

While the First Amendment to the Constitution protects Americans from government actions limiting their freedom of speech or expression, its protections do not mean that people can use any platform to say whatever they want. As privately-owned companies, social media platforms have the right to limit content as they see fit and have broad leeway to set terms of use that users must agree and adhere to before posting.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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